Many of our staff library computers are laptops, but we use a regular monitor and keyboard plugged into the laptop as if it was a standard CPU. When at the Reference Desk, we can set the screen on the laptop to be the same as the monitor, and turn the laptop screen to the patron so we can look together at the same results. The patron can type and we can type. When not working with a patron, we can set it so the screens are NOT the same, so we can have a document open on one and a website on the other.

This has worked pretty well for us and is an inexpensive solution for a "co-browsing" concept. If the laptop does not have enough USB ports you may need to get a hub (keyboard, barcode scanner, flash drive, etc.) When no patron is present, we turn the laptop back to face us or just close the lid.

GARY COCOZZOLI

_____________________

Gary R. Cocozzoli
Director of the Library
Lawrence Technological University
248-204-3000
gcocozzol@ltu.edu

(or) grc@ltu.edu

Visit the Library at http://library.ltu.edu

On Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 11:46 AM, Andrea Estelle <aestelle@otsegolibrary.org> wrote:

Has anyone out there discovered a nice-looking way to implement a dual monitor type of setup that would allow our patrons to see the computer screen at the circ/ref desk when we want them to see it?
I am looking for a system that would allow this that could be controlled easily (turned on/off as needed) by our staff and would keep us from having to swivel the monitors around to try to show them what we are doing?
I don’t want to add something clunky looking to our circ/reference desk so I’m wondering if anyone has come up with a creative, sleek solution to this!?

Thanks for your help,
Andrea

Andrea Estelle, MLIS
Library Director
Otsego District Library

Brighten the Corner Where You Are

Every Great Community Deserves a Great Library
www.otsegolibrary.org

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